A CANCER diagnosis is a devastating event for anyone. But clinicians are reminding those affected that, right now, more than half of all cancer patients are alive five years and longer after their diagnosis.
With International Clinical Trials Day taking place on Tuesday May 20, Cancer Trials Ireland is mounting its “Just Ask” campaign urging people with cancer currently undergoing treatment to talk to their doctors about the clinical trial options available to them.
“Just a few decades ago, 25 per cent of people were alive five years after a cancer diagnosis — now it’s over 50 per cent. But we can do better and we want to get that figure up to 75 per cent in the next 10 years,” said Gerry Hanna, vice clinical lead at Cancer
Trials Ireland.
“One of the ways that we can do this is to find the next generation of
treatments that will improve outcomes for people with cancer through clinical trials. In this regard, Cancer Trials Ireland currently has over 110 trials open and recruiting new patients.”
There are many good reasons to take part in a trial, from helping others get better treatment for their health issues in the future to potentially getting access to a new treatment now before it becomes widely available.
The intention with a prospective trial is that the treatment received by patients should be at least as good as the standard of care and, hopefully, better.
Cancer Trials Ireland is hosting a free information webinar on May 20, with registration on cancertrials.ie/justask.
